Abstract

In this paper, we demonstrate a flexoelectro-optic liquid crystal phase-only device that uses a chiral nematic reflector to achieve full 2π phase modulation. This configuration is found to be very tolerant to imperfections in the chiral nematic reflector provided that the flexoelectro-optic LC layer fulfils the half-wave condition. Encouragingly, the modulation in the phase, which operates at kHz frame rates, is also accompanied by low amplitude modulation. The configuration demonstrated herein is particularly promising for the development of next-generation liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulators.

Details

Title
Fast and low loss flexoelectro-optic liquid crystal phase modulator with a chiral nematic reflector
Author
Wang Xiuze 1 ; Fells Julian A J 1 ; Yip, Wing C 2 ; Taimoor, Ali 1 ; Jia-de, Lin 1 ; Welch, Chris 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Mehl, Georg H 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Booth, Martin J 1 ; Wilkinson, Timothy D 2 ; Morris, Stephen M 1 ; Elston, Steve J 1 

1  University of Oxford, Parks Road, Department of Engineering Science, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948) 
2  University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering, Cambridge, UK (GRID:grid.5335.0) (ISNI:0000000121885934) 
3  Department of Chemistry, University of Hull, Hull, UK (GRID:grid.9481.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 0412 8669) 
Publication year
2019
Publication date
2019
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-42831-5
ProQuest document ID
2221216777
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2019. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.